Los Angeles. The name of this city means a lot of things to
me. It means work. It means freedom. It means home. Los Angeles was a dream for
me just two months ago, now it is all too real. From editing a short to taking
pictures of a lake in the middle of a desert this summer was absolutely
amazing. I may have spent 95% of my time working, but what I did the other 5%
of the time is exactly what I wanted too. I made new friends and I lost some. I
found out who I am as a person and I grew A LOT. I absolutely new this summer
would be valuable, but honestly I never thought it would be like this.
Valuable experiences are many and regrets are few. I regret
not doing more shoots on the weekends. I regret not going to the Price is
Right. I regret not getting cookies at Diddy Reese one more time. But I have to
say, what I got out of this experience is worth more then the class costs. I
now know three new programs (DaVinci, Lightroom, Final Cut Pro). I now know
much money goes into renting equipment. I know how to lock down a location. I
know how to navigate the majority of Los Angeles. I have more projects for my
editing portfolio. I am just astounded by how much I accomplished in two
months.
Coming into this summer I never felt like a strong editor. I
had edited before and enrolled in the editing class, but honestly never grasped
it. It was a foreign idea to me and I always wanted to understand it more.
Working primarily as an editor this summer strengthened my skills as an editor.
I know now that it is something that is all in the eyes of the editor. I can
warp the story to something else or keep to the script. I can change someone’s
words and make them say something completely different. I can also change the
color of a picture to what it truly is or make it into s different feel. Having
this kind of experience helps me as a director and as a writer as well. Knowing
that editing is the final edit of a script and knowing how to go into an
editing session with the right mindset. This just makes me a stronger filmmaker.
It makes me a well-rounded person. 
Having Dr. Raimist set up the dinners to meet with real
industry professionals is also a huge benefit. We met with producers,
directors, writers, and the whole gang of them. Getting to ask questions to
people you either have to read a book by or never talk to was really valuable.
If you’re serious about having a job in this industry, you need to take this
class. You’re given so many tools and so many things are at our disposal that
it’s almost hard not to use them and grow. Dr. Raimist actually influenced me a
lot from the winter interim trip to the summer trip. Since December of this
year my life has changed drastically, I have worked so many jobs and held so
many different positions on shoots. I feel so well rounded and I’m exactly
where I should be as a film student.
The final thing I want to talk about is what how I as a
person grew. My view on where I will be in five to ten years changed so much. I
want to be a war photographer. I still want to work in film as a production
designer, but I will go to a war zone, and I will take photos that shock the
world. I honestly believe I can do whatever I want after this trip. Having
heart and determination is all you need. I have so much faith in myself now.
Thank you so much Dr. Raimist for showing us the city of LA. Thank you for
having us in your living room for class and feeding us snacks so we would be
awake enough for class. Thank you so much for contacting everyone you knew to
come talk with us. Thank you for the greatest summer of my life!
